Let's Grow Up Together
by Alice in a Hole
Summary: Continued from The Anarchist's Suit Collection (page 452.) This is just mostly Liesel and Rudy's everyday TEENAGE life (in Nazi Germany.) Warning: No tragedies maybe. It's not just smut, there's a plot, feelings and well love. Rated T cause hormones and maybe more. Enjoy :) RudyXLiesel for life.
1. Chapter 1

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own "The Book Thief" or any of the characters, just this fanfiction! All rights completely belong to its author, Markus Zusak!_

_Please leave a review if you want me to continue! Constructive critisism and suggestions are welcome! Thanks for reading!  
_

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**The Anarchist's Suit Collection (page 452)**

Rudy placed the lantern on the counter and came toward her in mock-anger, and Liesel had to admit that her heart began to beat awfully loud and painfully with his sudden proximity. She was grateful that Rudy came to a tumbling halt in front of her after forgetting about the disassembled mannequin on the shop floor. Liesel had a half-hearted hope that he would've reached her shaky heart, put his ear to her chest just to listen to its nervous chatter.

_"Gottverdammt!"_

Rudy exclaimed, clutching at his right foot. "I nearly broke my damn toe!" Rudy's swearing echoed violently throughout the store, threatening a fight with the characteristic silence of Himmel Street.

"That's enough you clumsy _Saukerl!_" Liesel hissed. "You're going to wake everybody up!"

Liesel's words fell onto deaf ears. The boy would not stop yelling. A small burst of fury ignited within the small heart of Liesel Meminger. The enraged half-German girl delivered a swift kick directly beneath the boy's slightly exposed rib cage. What happened next was a shocked and pained utterance of an "oomph!"

"What the hell! What was that for?!" Rudy howled the second the air filtered back into his bruised lungs.

"I told you to shut up!" Liesel stormed back.

"How can you kick me when I am already down! Does my body look like a soccerball to you?!" Rudy carried on. "And on Christmas no less! This proves that blood does not even run through the veins of a heartless _Saumensch_ like you!"

Liesel fell silent. Her feelings hurt. Rudy knew he crossed the line.

"Liesel?"

A sniffle echoes in his direction. Rudy began. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry Liesel." The boy with the aching ribs and most likely fractured toe, scrambled to his feet. He used the mannequin's dismantled shoulder as a support to get to his feet.

*****YET ANOTHER MISTAKE BELONGING TO RUDY STEINER*****

**That decision was not in his best interest.**

Rudy began again, more alarmed. "Are listening Liesel? I went too far. I'm sor-" The mannequin skids past his grip. Rudy "oomphed" for the second time. Standing up, Liesel laughed. On the floor, Rudy also laughed trying to stifle the anger at himself for making her cry. Then he closed his eyes, clenching them hard. Liesel rushed over.

Kiss him, Liesel, kiss him.

*****I HELD MY BREATH*****

**Liesel decided to listen to the thoughts in her head for the first time that night. Unaware that I was thinking along the same lines for her. **

*****A NECESSARY CORRECTION*****

**Well I would have held my breath if I had any.**

Placing the palms of her hands on the floor opposite of Rudy's head. Her clammy hands made contact with the floor's freezing surface, causing her to wince and even hesitate about what she was about to do. No. There was no turning back. It was rushed. It was forced, but Rudy Steiner had finally got what he always wanted. A kiss from his best friend, neighbor, and first love, Liesel Meminger.

Liesel noted that his lips tasted of lemons. She wondered if his lemon-flavored hair had somehow leaked down to his mouth and was somehow responsible for its zest.

Rudy's eyes flew open in shock, opening his mouth in the middle of the book thief's bungling kiss. "Wh-what are you doing?"

I could have taken her right then in that very second if I really wanted to. Her heart had actually stopped with that untimely question. They say that a human's heart stops the second they sneeze.

*****THE FULL AND ACTUAL TRUTH*****

**That is only half-true.**

**It skips a beat.**

I am not so heartless as to steal a human's soul in the millionth of a second that their heart skips a beat due to a mere sneeze. With that analogy aside I decided, in the spirit of _Weihnachten_ itself that I would wait for the book thief's heart to quietly regain its footing like I knew it would.

And that's exactly what happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all my lovely readers (and their even lovelier reviews and faves) I shall now continue! This is purely from my imagination now, with a few frequent phrases from the book! Tell me what you think and if Rudy and Liesel are in-character enough. Do you see this ever happening in the book? I'm dying to know! Lol

DISCLAIMER: I do not own "The Book Thief" or any of the characters, just this fanfiction! All rights completely belong to its author, Markus Zusak!

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**Chapter 2: They Saw Stars**

Liesel coughed once. Twice. And her heartbeat returned to its usual canter. I silently cheered. What was she doing? He asked. Liesel did not know. Rudy Steiner had finally successfully stolen something from the book thief.

*****WHAT HE STOLE*****

**Her words.**

*****A REASONABLE WARNING*****

**The book thief did not react well to being stolen from.**

"Nothing! Nothing at all you stupid _Saukerl!_" Liesel ripped herself, yes ripped, I could've sworn I heard a tear, away from the dumbfounded boy.

"Wait!"

Rudy reached out in the dark and found a way for them to remain hand in hand. Liesel shut her eyes. Her stomache doing painful flips and somersaults. Why did he have to notice it was a kiss?

She opened her eyes.

All the lights of Himmel were beginning to fade away. It was getting late. She couldn't even make out the eyes on Rudy's face. Liesel wondered what his eyes looked like. Were they as full of embarassment as her own? What was he thinking? _Hölle_. What was she thinking?

Rudy finally broke the silence, "You kissed me."

Liesel's cheeks flamed in the dark. There was no way she could explain herself now.

*****HER REACTION*****

**Denial. ****Denial with irrational harsh name-calling.**

*****MY INSIGNIFIGANT OPINION*****

**I have never understood why humans lash out whenever they feel intimidated. I do not have enough evidence to blame it on evolution.**

Her words did not match her actions.

"I did not."

"You and I both know that you tried to kiss me just now. Admit it _Saumensch_. You want me."

Her words came out venomous.

"I would never kiss a _Doppelarschloch_ like you."

"What have I done to become a dumbass more than once?" Rudy inquired softly into the dark.

Liesel could hear the hurt in his voice. She felt like crying. She tried to kiss him, but verbally beat him into the ground instead. Again.

_Ich liebe dich_. Her heart whispered. I love you. But her mouth just couldn't say it.

"_Entschuldigung_."

No. Why was he apologizing when he wasn't even wrong?

"You definetley wouldn't kiss me anyway. It was only an accident, right?" The boy with hair like lemons apologized for the third or possibly fourth time that night and let go of the book thief's hand. Liesel felt empty without it.

The boy rose to his feet, dust falling off. He winced. He really had fractured his toe.

"We better go home now. It's getting late."

*****AN UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT*****

**Liesel yanked the boy back down to the dirty floor.**

Her lips clumsily hit Rudy's with enough force to cause them both to see stars.


	3. Chap 2: Rudy's POV

Hi it's Rudy's point of view! I love him so much ;)

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Markus Zusak. This is my fanfiction however! Cheers!

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**Still Chapter 2: They Saw Stars (Rudy's POV)**

"Admit it _Saumensch_. You want me."

Rudy wanted to kick himself after he said that. He didn't know why he sometimes blurted out things he wasn't entirely sure of as if it were a fact he already knew all about. Liesel kissing him today was definetley a subject that he was shrouded in complete and utter ignorance. Rudy studied her in the dark, trying to gauge her reaction to this overstatement.

*****THE LOGIC BEHIND RUDY STEINER*****

**He already knew that he wanted her. **

**It was only a matter of time before the book thief gave in and wanted him.**

Liesel told him that she would never kiss him. She also called him a double dumbass, but that didn't sting nearly as much. A kick to the groin seemed pleasant compared to Liesel's frequent rejections.

That's it, Jessie Owens declared. He would give up on Liesel Meminger for good this time.

That was the fourth time he thought that this week. Who was he kidding, he was never going to stop loving his harsh, yet sweet next-door neighbor. Rudy wanted to know what her reaction would be if he told her that he wouldn't like her anymore. He knew that he would never work up the courage, he was too afraid of her saying things like "good" or "finally." Besides, whenever he was about to give up on her after a recent rejection, Liesel always did something that melted his resolve.

It was the way she stood up for those less fortunate. It was the way she had always showed up during times when he had thought she forgot. It was always her eyes. Her soft, achingly deep brown eyes. The way they would light up in dangerous and tingly excitement whenever they got away with stealing something. He could stare into those eyes forever. Unlike the cold Amper River, Rudy would not get hypothermia if he drowned in her eyes. To hell with _der Führer_. Brown eyes were beautiful. Specifically, the ones belonging to Liesel Meminger.

Rudy realized a long and uncomfortable silence had settled between them. He asked a dumb question, knowing full well that no one would answer it. Then he plain apologized. Maybe for the question, maybe for his own stupidity.

"You definetley wouldn't kiss me anyway. It was an accident, right?" Jessie Owens just could not wrap his head around the fact that the book thief would ever willingly kiss him.

*****HE WAS WRONG*****

**Liesel had kissed him and would again. But you already knew that didn't you? Being wrong never felt so good for Jessie Owens.**

His foot screamed at him from the shop's ice-cold floor. Rudy had forgotten all about the pain. He had better get going. He was sure that something was broken.

Something fast grabbed his chest.


	4. Chapter 3: Rudy's POV

Ahh, inspiration keeps attacking me! I don't know if they should go further... Further or is that too disgusting? I mean they're only 14 aren't they? Ughh I don't know, please tell me what you think!

DISCLAIMER: Book Thief belongs to Mr. Zusak. Fanfiction? Me.

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**CHAPTER 3: No More Faking it**

In the dead of night, half past 22 hours, two teenagers sat in a closed up shop. The lights from the quiet windows of Himmel Street had already fizzled out, leaving the fading glow of one lone kerosene lamp running out of juice. They were not aware of this fizzling due to their own sparks flying.

Somewhere along the outskirts of town, a certain painter wondered the whereabouts of his foster daughter. This was nothing out of the ordinary; he always wondered where and what she was doing while he was at work. How was he to know that his now adolescent daughter had broken into a tailor's shop and was lying on the floor, kissing the life out of the youngest son of his next-door neighbor?

Who would've known that a German boy and half-German girl who had loved eachother for far too long, with not nearly enough words to describe the feelings they mutually shared in secret would reveal their loves in such a way? Not even I, Death, the knower of most events would have predicted such an outcome. With that aside, I shall now resume watching the two teenagers that often refer to eachother as the book thief and Jessie Owens.

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**(Rudy's Point of View)**

Something soft crashed into his lips. Again. This time Rudy decided to have his eyes remain closed and assess the situation. Liesel was kissing him. That much he knew. Whether or not it was another accident, Rudy could not even guess. He didn't even want to. She opened her mouth, her teeth knocking on his as if it were a door. Rudy unconciously parted his lips and Liesel suprisingly slid her tongue in. Has she done this before? Has she done this before? This question bounced around in his head.

Rudy Steiner was no expert at kissing. He hadn't even got laid. He remembered a past meeting at Hitler Youth, when the topic of sex came up. Rudy could recall bragging to Tommy Mueller about doing away with the virginity of a certain Kreszentia Leseil he met in Berlin. Of course, he was full of _Scheisse_, there was no such girl. He'd never lived anwhere else besides Molching, not to mention Berlin was a very dangerous place right now. The imaginary girl's last name was even Liesel's name backwards. Despite this obvious blunder, he saw his half-witted friend twitch in admiration.

But where was all his bravado now? Rudy desparately needed to breathe, but Liesel didn't seem to want to stop. So the poor boy didn't. He did not want the girl of his dreams ever since he was 12 years old, to know that he didn't know how to kiss anyone.

Rudy pulled her closer, her legs wrapped around his waist. His heart was though the roof. That _Saumensch_ was too sexy for her own good. At this rate she would give him a heart attack.

Liesel finally pulled away and Rudy tried not to appear too out of breath.


	5. Chapter 4

Author's note: I'm on a roll here! I can't believe I'm continuing this! :O

Disclaimer: "Book Thief" is Markus Zusak's. The fanfiction is mine!

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**CHAPTER 4: Confessions**

Did I do it right?

That was the only thought nagging at the back of the book thief's mind as she kissed the boy who looked and tasted of lemons. Liesel wondered when they were supposed to breathe or if kissing required breathing at all. Of course it does, _Dummkompf_, Liesel chastised herself. Breathing was always necessary.

She strained to remember the last time she witnessed a kiss between her Mama and Papa. She stumbled upon their kissing on accident, when she had forgotten the second delivery she needed to bring for the wife of _der_ _Büergermeister_. They were in the kitchen, Mama had her arms wrapped around her Papa's neck and Papa's around her waist. They did not know she was there or that she was watching. Liesel regarded this odd display of affection as a rare and strange occurence. She knew that parents did these kind of things, but she had never seen it beforehand. Liesel had thought that maybe there was a certain time or separate place where these activities occurred. It just shocked the book thief that it could happen in the middle of her own kitchen.

Unfortunately, Liesel could not recall how long they kissed. However it certainly surpassed the invisible time limit an average person needed to breathe. She reached the conclusion that her parents were somehow breathing as they kissed eachother. How they accomplished this difficult feat, Liesel just could not explain.

Even with all of these thoughts running through the mind of the book thief, she remained very much aware of Rudy's presence.

*****HOW SHE DID THIS*****

**He was simply very distracting.**

His mouth was very warm and so were his hands. Rudy's hands around the small of her back was practically burning a hole through her clothes. Not to mention, his kissing was making her weak in a lot of places especially behind her knees. She didn't know that he could have this kind of affect on her. Well maybe she did, she just simply ignored it after she realized the uncomfortable bumpiness of love she had for him. Liesel did not want Rudy Steiner to know how much power he actually held over her heart. Such sensitive information would lead to the immediate swelling of his head and probably kill him.

*****WHAT SHE DID NOT KNOW*****

**Rudy wouldn't have minded such a death after all.**

The book thief had finally reached her limit. They sat in the darkness, barely illuminated by a dying lamp. Liesel realized in horror that she was so absorbed in the act of kissing, that her own body reacted on its own. Her legs were wrapped around Rudy's waist. Liesel tried to discreetly untangle herself from him. Rudy grabbed her waist and pulled her hard to his chest. Liesel thought she would faint.

"L-let go of m-me _Saukerl_." Liesel sputtered. This situation was quickly spiraling out of her control.

His voice was low and didn't sound at all like her childish best friend.

"I want you."

Liesel was speechless. In no certain terms, she knew exactly what he was referring to. Before she could even respond, Rudy wrapped his arms around her. She breathed in his scent. Apples and ashes. He had probably handled his fireplace recently.

*****THE WORDS THAT TUMBLED OUT*****

**"Ich liebe dich."**

Liesel squeezed her eyes shut as tight as possible. She couldn't believe she finally said it.

"_Was sagen sie?_"

"Nothing."

Rudy's fingers lifted up her chin, forcing them to look eye to eye. He asked again.

"I didn't say anything." She lied.

Rudy sighed. "Must it always be me?"

Liesel did not know what he was talking about.

"I love you too."

Now she did.


	6. Chapter 5

Sorry that it's kind of short, I've got to go to school and get the book so I can get some direct quotes. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: "The Book Thief" belongs to Markus Zusak. This fanfiction belongs to me.

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**Chapter 5: Cold Feet (Rudy's POV)**

"Have you got nothing to say?"

Liesel could only shake her head.

Rudy was losing patience. Fast. All he could think about now was pushing the book thief down and having his way with her. He knew he would never do it, Liesel wouldn't want something like that and he loved her too much to let his selfish desires get the better of him.

He unconsciously sighed, he felt her stiffen beneath him. Rudy remembered their embrace. He couldn't keep her captive forever. In one swift motion, he let go of her and pushed her off of his lap at the same time. _Verdammt_, he was going to miss that position.

"Rudy?"

"What is it _Saumensch?_"

Pause.

"Did you mean what you said?"

Another pause.

"_Ja_."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, cold without her already.

"So where the hell is my present?" Rudy asked, trying to change the subject. He felt a hand creep to his knee, and slide down to his foot.

"Does your foot still hurt?"

Rudy was surprised she noticed, but yet she always did. He formed a shadow of a smile.

"_Nein_. Enough with the questions already."

The boy gets to his feet, ignoring the pounding pain in his foot and reaches a helping hand down to his best friend. She quietly puts her hand in his and follows.

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**(Liesel's POV)**

"This one."

Liesel pulls a navy, tweed suit off of a stuffed rack of clothing. She holds it against Rudy Steiner. It seemed the perfect length.

"Alright, I'll try it on." The boy slips into the nearby dressing room.

Liesel's mind wandered back to their passionate kiss. She blushed a little, from the memory. How could he act so nonchalant after what they had just done? She had finally given that _Saukerl_ what he used to always ask for, yet he barely even cared! Liesel recalled that the last time the words "how about a kiss, _Saumensch_" came out of his mouth was when he was waist-deep in the wintry Amper River. He had jumped in and retrieved The Whistler after Viktor Chemmel and his slave-like followers tossed it in. Rudy had never asked for a kiss again after that incident.

*****ONE DARK THOUGHT*****

**What if he didn't want one anymore?**

It could be true. What if her beloved best friend had already wanted something else from her? Suddenly, his deep voice returned to her, "I want you." He had said it himself. Perhaps, he merely wanted her body now? Liesel panicked. She had only recently donned a brassiere, and it was only because she begged her Mama to buy her one, ignoring the "there is nothing to cover" from her. All of the other_ die Mädchen_ already had busts poking out beneath their brown uniforms, except for Liesel Meminger. If Rudy Steiner wanted her body, Liesel did not have a good enough one to give to him.

Something cold and hard touched her shoulder in the dark.

Liesel jumped, shrieking a bit.

She turned around to see a sniggering Rudy, holding a mannequin. He made its arm extend to hers in friendship. She slapped it away.


	7. Chapter 6!

Author's note: Hi guys I'm sorry this chapter took so long, I just graduated and I've been so busy! I really wanted to write a new chapter but I didn't know exactly how to write it. Writer's block? Anyways I just wanted to thank all of my followers and any guests that stopped by to read my ordinary story. It means a lot! You guys are awesome and please leave a review of what you think! I really worked hard on this one to make it seem as in character as possible and just good haha. I also made it long cause I took so long to write it and I wasn't happy about how my chapter 5 turned out so yeah, have a great day! Rudy X Liesel forever! ❤️❤️

DISCLAIMER: "The Book Thief" completely belongs to it's author, Markus Zusak. I can only wish it were mine...

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**CHAPTER 6: A Freezing Reunion**

The crumbling steps of the book thief kicked up a mountain of white powder. That same powder that rested above her brother's unmarked grave. She did not know how to read then, but the impossible letters of the nameless town were glued to the back of her mind. Now five years later that sign near her brother's grave suddenly began to say something that 9 year old girl could from before didn't know. Arnsberg. Her brother was buried in Arnsberg, Germany. The young girl faced the wind. Her cheeks stung with the bitter cold of the new year. Liesel held a special hatred for this month. In her heart she would never forgive the way I carried her brother's life away that cold January.

*****A FACT OF LIFE*****

**Everyone has to die, execept for me everyone dies. Even a sickly 6 year old boy that had an older sister. Maybe even a boy that left behind bread and teddy bears. **

I don't want to get too ahead of myself. As I return to Molching, stop at a street named Himmel that if I didn't know it's tragic location by heart I would have easily missed it. It was here behind the doors of the house marked with a crooked 33 that today's events unfold. I observe the new and amusing behavior of the book thief.

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It had been a week or so since Liesel laid her eyes on the first boy she had ever kissed. This was a hiatus she engaged in on purpose. She grew accostomed to the rapid knocks of the growingly desparate Rudy Steiner. She welcomed them with dread and adrenaline. If diving under one's bed whilst yanking down their bed covers to hide oneself was a skill, Liesel was already an expert in it. She waited for the familiar crash of her door hitting the wall as Mama barged in.

"You filthy pig! Did you not hear me calling for you?! That cripple of a boy is here again!"

*****THE TRUTH BEHIND THAT INSULT*****

**Rudy Steiner had fractured his foot the night the book thief stole his lips. However _der_ _Doktor_ said he'd be able to take the splint off late _Februar _as long as he remained indoors. In bed.**

Rosa Hubermann's gaze furiously searched the room pausing once over the sloppy blankets strewn against the floor.

"I don't know where that insolent _Saumensch_ wandered off to! BUT WHEN SHE COMES BACK SHE IS GOING TO GET IT!"

What usually followed was a protesting Rudy asking to just let him take a quick look in her room and to please not call him a cripple. The front door slamming in his face was almost always the answer he got. When Liesel came out of hiding long after the boy had gone she endured a _Watschen_ for leaving the house without permission and because her dirty room. Of course the book thief wasn't guilty of either of these crimes.

Liesel had been very exacting in how she had chosen to completely avoid 35 Himmel Street. She left the house when she was completely sure that no Steiners were in the vicinity. She had begun to only use the backdoor. It wasn't _too_ hard to hide from her neighbors. Specifically their youngest son.

However a problem arised. The book thief could no longer indulge in her favorite pastime: stealing. And I'm not talking about just swiping an apple or two.

*****WHAT KIND OF STEALING*****

**The kind that involved the hands of Rudy Steiner boosting her up into the window of Ilsa Hermann's library.**

Today Liesel had made the mistake of approaching the house of _der Büergermeister _alone in hopes of stealing another book. The window had grown at least 10 inches too tall. She could not climb in. Another mistake she made was forgetting that Rudy came in second place of the few people that knew her the most, Papa obviously coming in first place.

"I knew you would be here!" Rudy exploded out of the bushes grabbing hold of Liesel.

"Let go of me _Saukerl!_" She screamed as quietly as possible trying not to attract attention.

"I'm not stupid! I know that you're avoiding me, _Saumensch!_"

"Shut up! Frau Hermann's going to find us!"

"_Scheissegal_. Whatever. I don't care about that! _Gottverdammt_, if you hate me that much stop being a coward and just say it to my face already!"

Liesel's hand clamped over his mouth.

"Who are you calling a coward? Stop acting like you know everything when you understand nothing!"

Rudy stared at her and made no attempt to shake her off. She glared at him. She wasn't going to back down first. A tongue licked the palm of her hand. The book thief jumped out of her skin. She would have been able to reach the window with that jump.


	8. Chapter 7

Author's note: Hello all my lovelies! Haha no. Here's chapter 7 !

Disclaimer: I do not own The Book Thief!

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**Chapter 7: The Argument**

"Do you want me to hit you?!"

The book thief was thrown off balance and well to be honest... completely flustered.

"_Ja_."

"Are you stupid or something?"

Rudy laughed.

"That's not funny!"

Rudy quickly stopped laughing, a smirk stretched wide across his face.

"So how about that kiss _Saumensch?_"

Liesel turned bright red.

"You're not getting one!" She sputtered.

"_Nein_... No how WAS that kiss?"

She blushed even deeper, then turned away to hide it. The book thief desparately wished she had a book to bury her face in at that moment.

"Shut up. I don't know what you're talking about." She lied and began to walk away.

"What you running away for? You scared?"

"Not from you... I'm leaving before Frau Hermann hears your stupidity."

Rudy hobbles after her.

"Well how was it?"

"How was what?"

"You know what."

Why won't he let this go? She didn't answer him. The book thief walked on until they left Grande Strasse.

"Wait can we stop here?"

"Stop being lazy _Saukerl_ we're almost home."

Liesel turned around and really looked at Rudy for the first time. His yellow hair seemed to soak up the sun's rays. His cheeks were slightly red and chilled from the wind. Then his eyes. His eyes always seemed to sparkle with kindness and mischief. She had to glance up to meet them. Her heart caught in her chest, his eyes were beautiful. They were soft and blue and she loved the way they seemed only for her.

"_Hallo_? So breaktime, eh _Saumensch_?"

She watched him walk over to a tree and lower himself to the ground. She could see that it took some effort and she didn't like how much it made his legs shake.

"Are you sure you can be outside with your foot like that?"

"Jesse Owens could do it. So can I."

"Don't be stupid. What did_ der Doktor_ say?"

"He said I can take the splint off by your birthday."

"_Februar_. That's it?"

"_Nein_... but the rest isn't much important."

"Tell me the rest."

The smirk returned.

"I forgot. Give me another kiss and I might remember."

Liesel let out a frustrated noise.

"Is that all you care about?! My childish body?"

In the heat of the moment, the book thief didn't realize what she had said.

*****ONE INTERESTING THOUGHT*****

**Rudy did not think her body was childish one bit.**

"Come on, you know I didn't mean it like that."

Her words rushed out like a dam had burst.

"Don't you care that I have nothing there?!" She circled the air in front of her chest. "I don't know how it was okay? It was my first time, but it was very nice. I hate you, _Saukerl_ how dare you act so normal! How can you? I can't even look you in the eyes anymore! I don't believe what you said... cause you... Y-you always make fun of me! And your foot... it's my fault. If I just hadn't-" The book thief began to cry.

Rudy was alarmed, jumped to his feet... and came tumbling down.

"Rudy! _Alles gut_? Are you okay?! Are you okay?!"

Liesel ran over and tried to pull him to his feet.

"_Es tut weh_! Ow! It hurts! It hurts!"

Liesel quickly dropped him.

"OW!"

"I'm so sorry Rudy!"

"What the hell _Saumensch_!"

"Sorry!"

"Stick your apologies already!"

Rudy closed his eyes in pain. He was sweating on such a cold day. Liesel touched his forehead. He had no fever. Then why was he sweating so much?

"Rudy," She began, "What's wrong with you?"

He sighed.

"I'm not supposed to come out of my house. I'm supposed to stay in bed too for my foot to heal."

"Rudy!"

He opened his eyes then, a magnificent blue.

"I just couldn't stay away, you know?"

Liesel's heartbeat sped up.

She was breathless, "Why?"

"I missed you too much."

"_Saukerl_ it has only been one week! How do you expect to get better?" Tears formed in her eyes. "It's all my fault!"

"Shut up! Would you listen to me for just one second?!"

Rudy pulled her down next to him by the arm.


	9. Chapter 8!

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! You guys keep me going, especially Rudy! Which by the way woohoo for Rudy's point of view this chapter! ❤️

Disclaimer: Book Thief is not mine ㈎8

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**Chapter 8: The Girl With a Face Like Tomatoes (Rudy's POV)**

"I was the one that ran and tripped over that mannequin in my father's shop. That's not your fault."

She was still sniffling and probably wasn't listening to a word he was saying. Jesse Owens was mad and embarassed. She had been crying a lot lately and it was really pissing him off that he couldn't do anything to stop those tears. The reason for her crying always seemed to be because of him.

"Liesel..."

She didn't answer him again, sniffling away.

*****AN ODD QUIRK ABOUT RUDY*****

**The only name that embarassed Rudy to say was Liesel's. He only said her name when something was serious, all embarassment aside.**

I watched them then. They sat in silence for many minutes on the side of a dirty, snowed in road. The book thief crying like a baby and Jesse Owens sitting bravely beside her. It was a sad and awkward sight to behold. I also watched a familiar tormentor appear out of the shadows heading their way.

Rudy was so angry at himself. Why was it that every time his best friend cried all he could do was silently stand by or in this case sit next to her? The first time she had cried was on her first day of school. She had just received the mother of all _Watschens_ from Sister Maria for beating the living _Scheisse_ out of Ludwig Schmeikl. Rudy still thought that he deserved it... the _Arschloch._

*****WHAT HE DID THAT RAINY DAY*****

**He stood next to her, waiting until she stopped crying.**

He had wanted to comfort her that day, but stopped cold when she mentioned her brother that had died. He had heard from Herr Hubermann with whispering, worried explaining that her 6 year old brother had died on the train to Molching. It had been a warning. He was warning Rudy not to ever bring up the death of Werner Meminger. So he didn't. But this time it was different. Liesel was crying because of him and not her brother. That small fact gave him enough confidence for him to race around Hubert Oval three times and then some. Rudy moved in closer and wrapped his arm around the book thief. She didn't seem to notice. He pulled her in for a hug. She didn't pull away much to Jesse Owen's surprise. But she didn't stop crying either. He had to take it one step further. Rudy traced his hand along the outline of the book thief's sweater. His hand slid over the raggedy, argyle stitching, then slipped under. Her skin was warm. He heard her sharp intake of breath. The sniffling stopped. _Holle_, what should he do now? He kept his hand there for a few moments and took one deep breath in his head. Up we go... Rudy's fingers slowly crept up and rested at the center of the book thief's chest.

*****ONE SMALL THOUGHT*****

**Should I still be watching? It's not like I wanted to witness the scene. I was practically chained to Germany during the Third Reich. Well now I feel a little less creepy.**

Rudy closed his eyes. He could die right now. If he died right now, he would die happy, he thought. He smiled quietly to himself. Her heart was thumping so fast. It reminded him of a rabbit running. He started to slide his hand to the left, and Liesel gasped out loud. She clutched to his chest. Why wasn't she stopping him by now? Just a little closer... Rudy thought. A cold hand enclosed over his and pulled it out of the book thief's sweater. Every part of his body disagreed with that. He slid his other hand under her sweater and cupped her breast. He felt Liesel shutter and gasp again. Rudy noticed his hands were shaking under her shirt, he gripped his wrist to hide the nervousness.

"Well what have we got here?"

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Liesel shrieked.

Rudy nearly had a heart attack. He yanked his hands out of Liesel's sweater. In front of them was a sneering Viktor Chemmel, standing with the most annoying cockiness Rudy had ever seen. He took one hand off his hip and gestured for them to go on.

"No... no don't mind me. Continue."

"Go to hell."

"Nothing wrong with wanting a little more eh boy? Oh _bitte_, little _Mann_ now I suppose?"

Viktor crouched down in front of the girl with a face like tomatoes.

"Tears?" he touched Liesel's cheek, she pulled away and he laughed out loud.

"_Was_? He popped your little cherry whore? It only hurts once you know."

Rudy was losing his cool.


	10. Chapter 9

Author's note: This one is kind of short, inspiration's fleeting and I'm hungry... Love you guys though! Especially Rudy! This one is just a general point of view/somewhat Death's POV but not really it's hard for me to be random and tripping like Death usually is... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Book Thief \3! Markus Zusak does! But I own this fanfic! (Not as impressive...)

* * *

**CHAPTER 9: Rotten _Kartoffeln_**

I could sense the tension rising. I could even see it. It was an unmistakeable blanket of notable reactions. There were three: fury, sarcasm, and mockery. Guess which one belonged to the book thief?

*****WHO AND WHAT VIKTOR CHEMMEL WAS*****

**Just your average completely brainwashed, jew-hating aryan boy that Hitler would have been proud of.**

*****SOME DISCONCERTING FACTS*****

**He was an obnoxiously rich bastard that stole just for kicks. He had the pleasant experience of nearly choking the life out of Rudy Steiner. He was a 17 year old chainsmoker with a secret crush on the book thief.**

Viktor Chemmel ignored Rudy entirely, focusing instead on the book thief. She was great at pulling a little pokerface. Viktor wanted to see it crack. She looked cute when he made her squirm.

"Are you listening to me?!"

Rudy Steiner was closing in.

"Did I say you could speak you piece of shit?

"Come on Rudy. Let's go." Liesel tried to tug him away. He barely budged an inch.

"No." Rudy said slowly. "This bastard disrespected you. I'm not going anywhere."

"You better watch your filthy mouth, boy. It might kill you one day."

The book thief was already getting fed up.

"He'll keep that in mind along with the bombs, starvation, and war going on that could kill us all at any second." She said sarcastically.

Liesel tried to grab Rudy's arm, but miscalculated and groped his armpit. Viktor burst into obnoxius laughter.

"Ow!"

"Ew!"

Rudy pulled back and stumbled behind Liesel who now successfully had him by the arm. Viktor Chemmel called out to her from behind.

"And what about you? What do little whores like you have to keep in mind?"

Liesel did not even turn around. Rudy struggled to.

*****WHY HE COULDN'T*****

**This was a rare moment when the book thief's controlled anger overpowered Rudy's impulsive stupidity. Also his fractured foot just could not take the abuse anymore.**

That night Viktor Chemmel made a plan to steal something really good this time. His wind-like hair and attractive cloudy eyes told others that uneccessary food wasn't the only thing he was good at stealing.

* * *

The very next day the book thief in her room and the clouds in the sky dragged about in equal laziness.

Liesel plopped down at the dining table just as Papa entered the room, newspaper in hand.

"Good morning, Papa."

Liesel kissed her father on the cheek.

"A man gave this to me as thanks for painting his house last week."

*****A PINK PAINTED LIE*****

**When Hans had arrived to paint the man's house pink no one was home. Just as he began to apply the second coating the man came home and began shouting and throwing things at him, a book included. He had painted the wrong house.**

Liesel's face lit up once she saw the book in her father's hand.

_For you_. His silver eyes seemed to twinkle.

"_Danke schon_, Papa!"

The book thief's eyes first devoured the back cover and flipped it over to read the title on the front. _A Two-Way Street_.

"Don't give her a gift for no reason! You'll spoil her rotten!" Rosa cursed her husband from the kitchen. A crash sounded a minute later. Liesel rushed past her Papa's elbowed-in post by the table.

"Mama! _Alles gut_?"

A sack of rotten _Kartoffeln_ rolled across the floor.

Papa noticed what had fallen and laughed at the irony.

"Not before you do."

"What did you say you useless _Saukerl_?! And what are _you_ standing around for _Saumensch_?! THE POTATOES ARE NOT GOING TO PICK UP THEMSELVES!"


End file.
